


The Connecting Charm

by squidgie



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Community: comment_fic, Lost Love, M/M, Mention of Canonical Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 22:25:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7124734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidgie/pseuds/squidgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for tigriswolf's promopt: <i>author's choice, authors's choice, wearing jewelry with your zodiac on it</i>.  This fic takes place years after the movie, with Todd still mourning the loss of Neil, so he asks Chris to make him something that symbolizes him and the love he lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Connecting Charm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tigriswolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/gifts).



Todd enters the jewelry shop, his hand shaking lightly and the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. One of the eager, young associates immediately comes to his side, but he waves her off, a gentle shake of his head sending her back behind the counter. He sees Chris busy with a customer and waits patiently for her to finish, taking his time to look over rings and bracelets that he'd never wear, or even have anyone to buy them for. That option was torn away from him decades before, though the pain of loss stayed with him like it was yesterday.

He feels a touch on his shoulder before he hears Chris' quiet voice saying, "Todd. It's good to see you again. Would you come with me?" And as her hand slips from his arm, he nods, and then follows her into her office. He takes a seat, smiling at the collage of pictures Chris' office seems to have on just about every surface. There's the pictures of her and Knox back when he was at Dalton. Pictures of them with their children. Pictures of them at their 25th wedding anniversary. It brought back so many memories of one of the best parts of his life that he has to take a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"So I finished it," Chris says as she leans down, pulling a small box from her desk drawer. She hands it over to Todd, then takes a seat. "But I have one small confession to make," she admits in a whispered tone. 

His fingers perched on the clasp, Todd looks up from the box and asks, "What is it?"

"I..." Chris starts, but as a blush gently starts to paint across her cheeks, she gets up and retakes a chair next to Todd, reaching out and putting a hand on his knee. "I know this was personal, so I wanted to get it right. I... I hope you don't mind, but I had Knox help me with it a bit."

"That's fine," he says, not sure why he feels relief at the admission. Of all people, Knox probably knew him the best, and for him to help Chris just seemed right. With an almost whispered voice, he asks, "Can I see it?"

"Please, please," she says, gesturing to the box before leaning back in the chair, pushing her long hair back.

With trembling fingers, Todd opens the velveteen box, and almost immediately his breath is taken away. "Oh god. It's _beautiful_." He stares at the piece, tears beading up in his eyes. "It's just perfect," he says, taking the necklace out of the box with shaking fingers. He pushes away the flow of tears, taking the tissue when it's offered. "It looks so much like him from... From that night."

Tears dabbed away, Todd smiles as he stares at the beautiful, one of a kind piece of work that Chris had made for him. It was Neil dressed up at Puck, crown on his head, grinning at a scorpion held in outstretched hands. To the casual observer, it would be just an abstract piece of jewelry hanging around Todd's neck. But to Chris, to Knox, to Charlie and the friends that knew them both from that time in his life, it was a symbol of friendship and love that could never be taken away.

**Author's Note:**

> In my head, the necklace is a bust of Neil, dressed up as Puck, holding a scorpion (Todd's birth sign).


End file.
